As Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida on Wednesday night, its damage has already been felt by one major sports team in the state.
Tropicana Field, the home of MLB’s Tampa Bay Rays and a shelter for first responders ahead of the hurricane hitting land, saw its roof shredded by the destructive winds from Hurricane Milton.
Video has gone viral on social media, showing part of the dome’s roof completely open and flapping in the strong hurricane winds.
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A general view of Tropicana Field prior to opening day between the Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays. (Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports)
Thankfully, fire and rescue is reporting no injuries as lineman and first responders were staging there for the storm recovery, per WFTS meteorologist Jason Adams.
Another video of the roof shows just how much of it was taken out. It’s unknown at this time how damage is inside the building.
The Rays announced prior to the hurricane making landfall that it worked with state and local emergency management partners to aid efforts in debris removal, using Tropicana Field’s space for the lineman and first responders gearing up for storm recovery.
However, the Rays made sure to mention that it would not be used as a shelter, encouraging those in the St. Petersburg area to make sure to follow storm guidelines.
A general view of the stadium before a game between the Chicago Cubs and Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. (Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports)
Known as “The Trop,” the field has been home to the Rays since its inaugural season in 1998, though the team was looking to upgrade its franchise with a brand new stadium soon.
In 2023, the team announced a deal with local politicians to build a new stadium, known as “Gas Plant Stadium,” near Tropicana Field at a whopping $1.2 billion dollars. However, the St. Petersburgh City Council blocked a proposal, as half of the stadium’s funding would be taxpayer money.
A proposal was eventually approved by the St. Petersburgh City Council and Pinellas County Commission in July, which includes massive improvements to the area other than the stadium including residential units, affordable housing, office/medical space, retail space and more.
However, construction has not started yet on the new stadium, and it isn’t expected to be used by the Rays until Opening Day 2028 once completed.
a general view of the stadium before a game between the Oakland Athletics and Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. (Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports)
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The Rays, though, have a more pressing issue right now, as the roof of their home was decimated the night Hurricane Milton’s destructive system hit Florida adding to Hurricane Helene’s damage.
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